Combined ballot-receptacle and satchel



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Feb. 28,1882.

0. WELLS.

COMBINED BALLOT REGEPTAOLE AND SATOHEL.

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(No Model.)

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. WELLS. v COMBINED BALLOT REOEPTACLE AND SATGHEL. No. 254,416. 3Patented Feb. 28,1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSBERN \VELLS, OF NE'WBERRY, SOUTH CAROLINA.

COMBINED BALLOT-RECEPTACLE AND- SATCHEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,416, dated February28, 1882.

Application filed October 12,1881. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSBERN WELLS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Newberry, in the county of Newberry and State ofSouth Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCombined Ballot-Receptacle and Satchel and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a partof this specification.

My invention relates to a combined ballotframe and satchel, the objectbeing to provide a ballot-receptacle capable of being convenientlyhandled and transported and the invention consists in the constructionand arrangement of parts, whereby the receptacle may be readily securedto a table or desk while in use; also in the devices,as described, forcanceling the ballot in the act of depositing the same; and, further, inthe means for securing the satchel and contents after the voting hasbeen completed,allashereinaftermorefullyset forth.

In the annexed drawings, which fully illustrate my invention, Figure 1is a vertical .longitudinal section on the line :0 a; of Fig. 2, showingmy improved ballotreceptacle. Fig. 2 is a top View. Fig. 3 is a sideview of satchel with ballot-frame removed, showing devices for closingand securing the satchel. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of same on theline y y of Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of devices forsecuring the mouth of the satchel; and Fig. 7 is a transverse sectiontaken on the line zz of Fig. 1, near one end of the ballotframe.

Like letters indicate like parts in the several views.

A represents a satchel composed of any suitable material, and having anoblong rectangular mouth for the reception of the frame 13.

O is a detachable metallic band, nearly rectangular in form, whichsurrounds the mouth of the satchel and assists in holding the frame 3 inplace. The band 0, frame B, and satchel A are provided with circularopenings for the passage of the clamping-bolts l) D, by which said partsare connected.

In order to facilitate the operations of attaching and detaching theframe B to and from the satchel, the latter is provided with loops at a,by which it may be readily handled.

The clamping-bolts D D are screw-threaded at their inner ends, whichenter nuts or screwcaps 11 b, that may be permanently attached to theband C or detached therefrom, as desired. At the outer ends of the boltsD D are jaws 00 for clamping the edge of a table, desk, or othersuitable support, to which they are secured by means of the thumb-boltsd d.

The frame B is provided with an open cover, B, which is hinged at oneend, and closing down over the journals of the rollers, hereinafterdescribed, is secured at its opposite end by a hook or other suitablefastening arranged within the frame B. The rollers having been placed inposition and the cover B secured before the ballot-box is attached tothe satchel, it will be seen that after these parts have been connectedby means of the bolts D the rollers cannot be tampered with ordisarranged without first withdrawing said bolts.

The upper surface of the frame B and under part ofthe cover B hingedthereto are provided with half-round bearings c for the journals of theinking and printing rollers,which are thus held in place. These rollersare preferably four in number.

The inking-rollers E E are arranged in contact with each other near oneend of the box. They are of different diameter. The smaller one, E,which adjoins the printing-roller F, is provided with a cog, c, thatmeshes with a similar gear, f, on the shaft of the latter roller. Thegear f meshes with a gear, g, on the shaft of a feed-roller, G, that isthus caused to revolve toward and in contact with the printingrollerwhen the latter is actuated by the crank H. The inking-rollers may becomposed of any suitable material, or may be covered with cloth or othersubstance capable of absorbing and retaining a sufficient quantity ofink or other canceling matter.

An auxiliary or hand inking-roller, I, mounted in a suitable frame andcomposed of appropriate material, is provided for use in connection withthe other rollers, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The printing-roller is composed preferably of a shaft, having apermanent collar, F, to which is keyed or otherwise secured the print- 1three parts, suitably secured, the central depressed portion or bandbeing composed of elastic material.

The several rollers, as before described, are held in place by thehinged cover B, which is secured by a hook, it, and pin 2', arrangedwithin the frame. When the hinged cover B is closed it fits completelyaround the rollers, and, while preventing access to the box from above,it permits their operation to be observed. A guide-frame, It, isattached to the cover B immediately above the space between the rollersF and G, and through this space the ballot is passed. The crank H is nowturned by the custodian of the ballot-box in such a way as to cause therollers F G to revolve toward each other, grasping the folded ticket orballot and crimpingitbetween the flanged roller F and depressed orcentrallygrooved roller G at the same time that it is printed or markedby the type or the printingroller F. While the person in charge turnsthe crank H he also moves the hand-roller I forward upon the rollers EE,thus conveying ink to the printing-roller F. The crimped and printedballot, after passing between the rollers F and G, drops into thesatchel.

The type aflixed to the roller F may indicate any desired letters,numbers, or characters adapted to denote the locality of thepollingplace, or may be arranged to cancel the ballot by imprinting uponthe same any abitrary combination ofcharacters. Ifnumerals areemployed,their selection may be arbitrarily determined by the use of dice. Inthis case the custodian of the ballot-receptacle, before arranging it toreceive the ballots, will by a throw of the dice determine the number tobe used in canceling the ballots. A sufficient number of type-collars Fto represent numbers from nine to fiftyfour, inclusive, will beprovided, and the collar containing type representing the number soselected will be placed in position upon theshaft of theprinting-roller. In this way not even the judges of election will haveany prior knowledge of the canceling-number to be emafter falling intothe satchel when several are folded together, and no others need becounted.

As an additional safeguard against fraud in depositing ballots, thecolor of the cancelingink or other matter employed for the purpose maybe selected in like manner by throwinga die the faces of which aredifferently colored. After the voting has been completed theballotreceptacle is detached from the table by loosening thethumb-screws d d. The clamping-bolts D D are then withdrawn, thusdisconnecting the frame B from the satchel and permitting access theretofor the purpose of removing and counting the contained ballots. Thispreliminary count being completed, the ballots should be returned to thesatchel, and the various parts of the frame B may be detached and alsoplaced therein.

Within the frame B, beneath the inking-rollers, is a receptacle, K, inwhich the smaller-detached parts of the apparatus may be secured. Thisinner receptacle is provided at the bottom with a hinged door, L, havinga slide-fastening, m. The band 0, together with the clam ping-bolts,fran1eB,and its detached parts, havingbeen deposited in the satchel, themouth of the latter is secured for transportation by means of thedevices shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6. These devices consist of theclasps M Nandlocking-barO. Theouterclasp,M,isprovided with a suitablehandle, and has loops pp, that correspond in position and engage withvertical slots 8 8 in the inner clasp, N, and in the sides of thesatchel near its upper portion. In adjusting these clasps the mouth ofthe satchel is folded together longitudinally and placed between theclasps, so that the loops 1) p on the clasp M are made to pass throughtheslotsinthesatchel,andalso through the slots 5 s in the clasp N, whichfits between the bent ends of the former clasp. The bar 0 is now passedthrough theloopspp and through slots in the ends of the clasp M, whichare bent at right angles to the body of the clasp. The bar 0 has a stop,if, at one end, that prevents it from slipping entirely through theloops 1), while its opposite end, beyond the extremity of the clasp M,has an opening, '0, through which is passed and secured a padlock, 10,thus securely closing the mouth of the satchel, which may now beconveniently transported to the place where the ballots are to becanvassed.

This ballot-receptacle greatly diminishes the ordinary opportunities offraud, and, besides its convenience of transportation, is not capable ofbeing readily tampered with.

It will be understood that I do not herein claim the fastening devicesillustrated in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, such devices being adapted for usein many analogous ways, and therefore reserved for a separateapplication.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the frame of aballot-receptacle, of a satcheldetachably attached thereto, and provided with fastening devices,

substantially as described, whereby the ballots and detached frame maybesecured therein, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the satchel A and detachable frame B, havinghinged open cover B, adapted to be secured within said frame, of theinking-rollers E E, printing-roller F, and pressure or feed roller G,substantially as specified.

3. In a ballot-receptacle provided with devices arranged to print ormark the ballots as deposited, the combination, with suitableinklug-rollers, of a feed-roller, G, having a central depressed portioncomposed of elastic material, and a printingroller composed of a shafthaving the central detachable type-collar, F, and securing-collars F F,substantially as set 20 forth.

4. In acombined ballot-receptacle and satchel, the combination, with thesatchel A, frame B,

and band 0, having nuts or screw-caps b b, of the clamping screw-bolts DD, havingjaws c c and thumb-screws d (1, whereby the parts are connectedand detachably secured to a suitable support, substantially as shown anddescribed.

5. The combination, with a satchel having a detachable top or frameprovided with rollers for printing or marking ballots as deposited, ofclamping-bolts adapted to connect the satchel and frame and secure thesame to a table or other support, and means, substantially as described,for securing the ballots and detachable frame and contents in thesatchel, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OSBERN WELLS.

Witnesses:

JAMES F. GLENN,

JAMES F. KILGORE.

